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en-MYJangan bermain api dengan mereka: Lima ultras fanatik AsiaMereka lantang dan mereka bangga dengannya. FFT menyenarai pendek kumpulan penyokong paling fanatik di Asia...https://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/features/jangan-bermain-api-dengan-mereka-lima-ultras-fanatik-asia
Ultras Malaya (Pasukan Kebangsaan Malaysia)Penyokong tegar pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia semakin bertambah, tahun demi tahun, sejak ditubuhkan pada 2007 oleh 20 orang peminat fanatik pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia.Walaupun dengan kejayaan pingat emas Sukan SEA 2009 dan Piala AFF 2010 sedikit sebanyak telah membantu peningkatan jumlah pengikut Ultras Malaya, mereka bukanlah sekadar pemburu gelaran.Organisasi ini terurus, memiliki kaedah komunikasi jelas tatkala mereka sentiasa berada di belakang pasukan kebangsaan mereka.Seperti kebanyakan ultras di seluruh dunia, Ultras Malaya sering dilihat dengan gendang dan bendera mereka. Nyanyian lagu untuk menyokong pasukan mereka dan mengugut lawan turut jelas kedengaran.Tahap fanatik mereka tidak mengenal sempadan. Perkara ini terbukti apabila Malaysia menerima kunjungan Arab Saudi di Stadium Shah Alam dua tahun lalu. Pengadil perlawanan, Liu Kwok, menghentikan perlawanan pada minit ke-88 kerana Ultras Malaya melontar mercun dan suar ke dalam padang.Ultras berang dengan Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia, dan mahu suara mereka didengari. Dan sememangnya mereka didengari.Brigata Curva Sud (PSS Sleman)PSS Sleman mempunyai dua kumpulan penyokong utama: Slemania dan Brigata Curva Sud (BCS). Slemania dibentuk pada tahun 2000 sementara BCS pada tahun 2011. BCS masih baru, namun mereka lebih dikenali di peringkat antarabangsa.Mereka juga mendapat pengiktirafan Copa90, sebuah media yang menumpukan perhatian kepada isu-isu melibatkan penyokong.Bagi Copa90, BCS adalah salah satu ultras terbaik di Asia. Jika itu tidak cukup, saluran media alternatif lain seperti Ultras World dan Tifo TV juga mengiktiraf BCS. Mereka juga turut dipaparkan di muka depan majalah Poland, To My Kibice+ pada April 2017.Walaupun PSS bermain di divisyen dua Indonesia, ultras sentiasa ada di belakang, menyokong kelab mereka.Slogan mereka ialah "Tiada Pemimpin, Hanya Bersama". Itu cukup menunjukkan betapa kuatnya mereka berpegang pada perpaduan, koordinasi dan kebersamaan, yang mana mereka selalu tunjukkan ketika perlawanan.Sukar untuk memahami bagaimana, tanpa seorang pemimpin, mereka boleh menghasilkan paparan yang menakjubkan - tetapi hakikatnya mereka boleh.Gangs of Beijing (Beijing Guoan)Bola sepak di China telah berkembang pesat sejak Xi Jinping menjadi presiden pada 2013. Xi mahu membawa bola sepak China maju ke hadapan, dan dengan wang besar yang dilaburkan dalam Liga Super China, ramai bintang bola sepak Eropah yang berhijrah ke China sebagai langkah seterusnya dalam kerjaya mereka.Kemajuanbola sepak juga telah menimbulkan keghairahan peminat. Salah satunya adalah ultras Beijing Guoan, Gangs of Beijing.Gangs of Beijing bukanlah kumpulan yang terdiri daripada lelaki sahaja. Bilangan ahli wanita mula meningkat, tahun demi tahun. Mereka mudah dikesan baik di gelanggang rumah mahupun di tempat lawan kerana jumlah mereka yang ramai."Tidak kiralah jika anda lelaki ataupun perempuan. Kami semua bersorak bersama untuk pasukan. Terdapat ramai peminat dari golongan wanita."Ramai juga lelaki yang membawa isteri atau teman wanita mereka ke stadium. Jadi ada peningkatan jumlah peminat wanita yang datang ke perlawanan," jelas Gao Zhizi, salah seorang penyokong wanita Gangs of Beijing.Kehadiran mereka dan jumlah yang besar adalah apa yang menjadikan Gangs of Beijing sebagai antara ultras yang terbaik di China.Sorakan yang diberikan pastinya riuh satu stadium.Urawa Boys (Urawa Red Diamonds)Urawa Red Diamonds adalah salah satu kelab terbesar di Jepun, turut memenangi Liga Juara-Juara AFC pada tahun 2007.Kelab ini ditubuhkan pada tahun 1950, dan kumpulan penyokong tegar mereka digelar Urawa Boys.Pada mulanya, penyokong dibahagikan kepada sebelas kumpulan yang lebih kecil. Tetapi sebelas kumpulan kini telah membentuk satu kumpulan besar dengan satu matlamat yang sama: untuk menyokong Reds.Urawa Boys diinspirasikan dari ultras Itali. Mereka menunjukkan sokongan mereka dengan sepanduk besar, kibaran bendera dan nyanyian lagu sorakan. Mereka sering menunjukkan imej Che Guevara.Bagi Urawa Boys, Che adalah simbol anti-penubuhan.Ini adalah cara mereka untuk mengatakan bahawa Urawa Boys tidak dibelenggu oleh ideologi kerajaan. Ini juga merupakan cara mereka menunjukkan perasaan cinta mereka terhadap Urawa Reds.Al-Hilal UltrasUltras Al-Hilal terkenal dengan koreografi unik mereka. Semasa satu perlawanan Liga Juara-Juara Asia 2015 menentang Persepolis, penyokong Al-Hilal mempamerkan tifo yang diinspirasikan dari Mortal Kombat.Tifo itu kemudian berubah menjadi tulisan besar "Finish 'Em" – slogan Scorpion. Pemain Al-Hilal pasti telah menerima mesej itu, dan membelasah lawan mereka 3-0.Itu hanyalah salah satu daripada koreografi-koreografi Al-Hilal. Antara lain termasuk penampakan tangan besar memegang bendera kelab dan satu lagi menunjukkan frasa besar seperti "back 4 revenge", "attack", dan "defeat 'em".Foto Utama: Kamarul AkhirfeatureMon, 01 Jan 2018 07:08:46 +0000Anonymous799651 at https://www.fourfourtwo.com12 footballers who scored (or threatened) deliberate own goals – and whyIts the ultimate act of betrayal, but a small number of players have done the unthinkable and put the ball into their own net on purposeAmit Katwalahttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/features/12-footballers-who-scored-or-threatened-deliberate-own-goals-and-why
1. Steve McMahon (England)England warmed up for Italia 90 with a friendly in Sardinia against a local XI which featured a young Gianfranco Zola. The purpose of the game was twofold: get Bobby Robson’s squad some match practice before the tournament, and build bridges with the local community on the island where England would be based for the duration of the group stage.At the time, English fans were feared across Europe and tensions were high, so the FA made clear to travelling supporters that acts of hooliganism could hurt the Three Lions' prospects. With that in mind, Liverpool’s McMahon was instructed to collect the ball from kick-off, dribble the wrong way up the pitch and score in his own net.The journalists present had been given a press release explaining the stunt, which stressed that "hooliganism was an own goal". But as Pete Davies explains in All Played Out, his seminal book on the tournament, the message was completely lost on the watching fans who wondered: "Had the heat got to McMahon here, or what?"2. William Gallas (Chelsea)Chelseadefender Gallas forced through an acrimonious move to Arsenal on transfer deadline day in 2006. The Blues hadn’t wanted to sell, and took the unusual step of issuing a statement to claim their hand was forced by the player himself. The key paragraph read: "He went on to threaten that if he was forced to play, or if he was disciplined and financially punished for his breach of the rules, that he could score an own goal or get himself sent off, or make deliberate mistakes."Gallas admitted wanting to leave, but denies going as far as threatening to score against the Blues. For neutrals at least, it's a shame it never came to that.3. Ernst Happel (Austria)He was the first man to win the European Cup with two different clubs as a manager, and collected a host of domestic honours in his native Austria, but Happel could be a nightmare to play with. According to the Guardian, the centre-back would deliberately unleash attempts at his own goal when his Rapid Vienna side were dominating games, telling close friend and keeper Walter Zeman: "Lucky foryou I didn’t hit you in the head or else you’d be dead."He repeated the feat at international level, too: Austria were winning 15-0 in a warm-up game before the 1954 World Cup when Happel unleashed a 25-yard drive into his own net. The defender wanted, he explained after the game, “to show the opposition how to score”. Charming.4. Mursyid Effendi (Indonesia)Like a US draft-dodger, Indonesia defender Effendi went to extraordinary lengths to avoid Vietnam. In the 1998 Tiger Cup, the winners of a group game between Indonesia and Thailand were set to play hosts Vietnam in the next round, while the losers would face unfancied Singapore.With a low-intensity game on a horrifying pitch deadlocked at 2-2, Effendi rolled the ball into his own net while the Thailand players tried in vain to stop him. He was banned from international football for life, and Indonesia went on to lose to Singapore anyway. Justice.Own goal at 0:575. Andrea Masiello (Bari)Masiello isn’t going to be winning an Oscar any time soon. In 2011, the defender was playing for Bari, who had already been relegated from Serie A, against Lecce – who desperately needed a win in the penultimate game of the season to secure their own safety. With his side already a goal down in front of 19,000 fans, Masiello clumsily poked a cross into his own net from close range, before collapsing on the goalline in mock anguish.He later admitted that he'd been offered more than €50,000 to fix the game, and was duly given a 22-month suspended sentence. Masiello was one of nine players arrested in a wide-reaching operation which saw Bari docked seven points the following season, with Lecce eventually relegated to the third tier of Italian football. Masiello remains without a club and, unsurprisingly, his acting career hasn't yet taken off.Own goal at3:306. Mick Harford (Derby)Club legend Harford headed plenty of goals for Luton in a six-year spell with the Hatters, before leaving for Derby in January 1990. Eighteen months later, the already-relegated Rams side travelled to Luton’s Kenilworth Road on the final day of the season, with the home side needing a win to ensure top-flight survival.While defending an inswinging free-kick, Harford rose in trademark fashion to flick a header over Peter Shilton and into his own net, “with great irony” according to the commentators. No one cried foul at the time, but the goal probably helped smooth things over when Harford returned to Luton a few months later. It took until 2011 for him to finally come clean in a radio interview and admit he’d scored the own goal on purpose.Own goal at 5:057. PSS Sleman and PSIS SemarangIn 2014, Indonesian second division sides PSS Sleman and PSIS Semarang scored five own goals between them in the space of a few minutes, as they desperately tried to avoid a play-off semi-final clash with Borneo FC, who were rumoured to be backed by the local mafia.Video footage shows the goalkeepers deliberately letting the ball roll past them into unguarded nets. The match ended 3-2 to Sleman, but both teams ended up being disqualified from the competition, which is one way of successfully avoiding a tricky tie.Own goal at 0:228. Choi Eun-sung (Jeonbuk Motors)South Korean forward Lee Dong-gook failed to score in 23 appearances for Middlesbrough, so there were more than a few raised eyebrows on Teesside when he accidentally unleashed a 40-yard screamer into the top corner (he was supposed to be returning the ball to the opposition keeper after an injury stoppage).The incident took place in a K-League fixture in 2013, when Dong-Gook’s Jeonbuk Motors side levelled the scores against Seongnam thanks to his inadvertent goal. After a heated discussion, the Jeonbuk players reluctantly decided to do the sporting thing: goalkeeper Choi Eun-sung booted in the winner from a few yards out.Own goal at 1:509. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)Carragher was no stranger to own goals –the boyhood Everton fan scored seven against Liverpool in the Premier League, putting him joint-second on the all-time Premier League list behind Richard Dunne.His only deliberate effort came in his testimonial, when the defender impatiently smashed a penalty past his own goalkeeper before departing to a standing ovation. In truth, though, referee Mark Halsey bottled it: the rules state he should have given a yellow card and ordered a retake. 10. SO l’EmyrneThe biggest defeat in football history started out as a childish protest. SO l’Emyrne, the defending champions of Madagascar, failed to retain their crown in 2002 after a contentious late penalty in a 2-2 draw. AS Adema were crowned champions as a result –and later that week, the two sides met in Toamasina on the island’s east coast. Instead of the traditional guard of honour, SOE embarked on an ill-thought out (but admittedly well-executed) protest against the division's refereeing standards, orchestrated from the stands by coach Zaka Be.Their plan? Knock in 149 deliberate own goals. As the opposition players stood bemused and fans besieged the ticket office in search of a refund, the protesting team continually kicked off by sending the ball towards their own net. They did somewhat labour the point, although the logistics of the effort remain impressive –it works out as an own goal every 36 seconds, barely enough time to pause for breath.Inevitably, they were punished for their actions: the coach was suspended for three years, while four players including national team captain Manitranirina Andrianiaina were also banned. And, to add insult to injury, SOE ended up finishing third in the final group –on goal difference.11. Dennis Evans (Arsenal)It might shock you to learn that Lee Dixon’s glorious floated chip over David Seaman is not the most ridiculous own goal scored by an Arsenal full-back. That honour goes to Evans, who played on the left of the defence for the Gunners in the 1950s.At the end of a 4-0 home win over Blackpool in December 1955, Evans was in possession in his own penalty area when the whistle went. As Arsenal goalkeeper Con Sullivan turned to collect his cap and head back to the dressing room for a post-match cigar (or whatever players did in the '50s), Evans exuberantly booted the ball into his own net.Only the match wasn’t actually over –the whistle had come from the crowd and the goal stood, with the game ending 4-1 shortly afterwards. Oops.12. Terry Sealey (Barbados)Preparing for every eventuality is the key to sporting success, so kudos to Barbados coach Keith Griffith for doing just that and masterminding what may be the most farcical end to a football match in history.The organisers of the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which began with a three-team qualifying group stage, decided that all draws would be settled with golden goal extra time. It was also, for some reason, decided that said golden goals would count double when it came to adding up goal difference at the end of the group.Barbados faced Grenada in the last group game, needing to win by two clear goals to top the group and progress to the next round. Pegged back to 2-1 in the final few minutes, they gamely tried to re-establish a lead against a stubborn Grenada defence, before settling on a better plan.With 87 minutes played, defender Terry Sealey and goalkeeper Horace Stoute passed the ball back and forth in their own area, before Sealey smashed it into his own net. It was 2-2, which meant the game was going to extra time, where Barbados would have the opportunity to score the double golden goal they needed to knock Grenada out.Unless, that is, Grenada could score a goal in the remaining minutes of normal time –at either end of the pitch. But according to Stoute, Griffith had even prepared his team for this absurd scenario; Barbados duly split their team in half, with five players defending each end.“We had a short discussion before the game on what to do if Grenada suspected it,” the goalkeeper said in an interview with The Cauldron. “Our attackers would defend the Grenada goal, and our defence would maintain our defending, youknow?”Barbados succeeded, successfully keeping their opponents at bay at both ends until the end of normal time, before scoring the golden goal to win the group a few minutes into extra time. “I feel cheated,” fumed Grenada boss James Clarkson after the game. “The person who came up with these rules must be a candidate for a madhouse.”New features every day on FourFourTwo.comfeatureSat, 18 Nov 2017 16:43:12 +0000Anonymous692903 at https://www.fourfourtwo.comDon't mess with them: Five hardcore Asian ultrasTheyre loud and theyre proud. FFT picks out Asias most die-hard groups of supporters...Arief Hadihttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/features/dont-mess-them-five-hardcore-asian-ultras
Ultras Malaya (Malaysia National Team)The hardcore supporters of Malaysia's National Team aregrowing in number, year by year, since being formed in 2007 by 20 Malaysian national team fanatics.While successes at the 2009 SEA Games gold medal and the 2012 AFF Cup victory helped boostUltras Malaya’s number, theyare far from glory-hunters. The organisation is well-managed, their communication line is clear and they are always behind their national teamLike most ultras around the world, Ultras Malaya often seen with their firecrackers drums, and flags, and are heard chanting to support their team andintimidate their opponents.Their fanaticism knows no boundaries, highlighted clearly whenMalaysia hosted Saudi Arabia in Shah Alam Stadium two years ago. The referee of the match, Liu Kwok, stopped the game in the 88th minute because Ultras Malaya was throwing firecrackers and flares to the field.The Ultras were angry with the Football Association of Malaysia, and wanted their voices heard. And heard they were.Brigata Curva Sud (PSS Sleman)PSS Sleman have two main groups of supporters: Slemania and Brigata Curva Sud (BCS). Slemania was formed in 2000 while BCS was in 2011. BCS is younger, but they’re better known internationally.They even got recognition of Copa90, a media outlet focused on issues surrounding supporters.To Copa90, BCS is one of Asia’s best ultras. If that’s not enough for you, another alternative media outlets like Ultras World and Tifo TV also acknowledged BCS. They were also on the April 2017 cover of Polish magazine To My Kibice+.Despite PSS playing in the Indonesian second tier, the ultrasconstantly supporttheir club. Their catchphrase is “No Leader, Just Together”. That pretty much shows how strong they hold on to unity, coordination and togetherness, which they always show in matches.It’s hard to understand how, without a leader, they can produce such amazing displays – but the fact is they can.Gangs of Beijing (Beijing Guoan)Football in Chinahas beengrowing rapidly since Xi Jinping became president in 2013. Xiwants to bring Chinese football forward, and with big money invested in the Chinese Super League, many European football stars are turning to China as the next step in their careers.The advance in the footballing department has also given rise to fans enthusiasm. One of them arethe ultras of Beijing Guoan, Gangs of Beijing.Gangs of Beijing isn’t all-men supporter group. The number of women members arerising year after year. They’re easy to spot at home and in away matches due to their largenumbers.“It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. We’re all cheering for the team together. There are many female fans. A lot of guys take their wives or girlfriends to the stadium. So there’s a growing number of female fans coming to the games,” explained Gao Zhizi, one of the woman of Gangs of Beijing.Their presence and large numbers arewhat makes Gangs of Beijing one of the best in China.You can bet that thenoise they make is loud.Urawa Boys (Urawa Red Diamonds)The Urawa Red Diamonds are one of Japan’s biggest clubs, winning the Asian Champions League in 2007.The club was formed in 1950, and their hardcore group of supporters are called Urawa Boys.At the beginning, the supportersweresplit into eleven smaller groups. But theeleven groups have now formedone big group with one commongoal: to support Reds.Urawa Boys are Italian ultras-inspired. They show their support with largebanners, flying flags and singing. They often show the image of Che Guevara.To the Urawa Boys, Che isa symbol of anti-establishment.It’s their way of saying that the Urawa Boys are not curbed by the government’s ideology.It’s their way of saying that their love to Urawa Reds ispure.Al-Hilal UltrasAl-Hilal's ultras arefamous for their unique choreographies. During one 2015 Asian Champions League match against Persepolis, the Al-Hilal supporters displayed a Mortal Kombat-inspired tifo.The tifo then morphed intoa huge “Finish ‘Em” -Scorpion’s catchphrase. Al-Hilal's players must have heard the message, thrashingtheir opponents 3-0.That was just one of many Al-Hilal choreographies. Others includeare big hands holding club flag and another big showing of phrases like “back 4 revenge”, “attack”, and “defeat ‘em”.Main Image: Kamarul AkhirfeatureMon, 23 Oct 2017 04:21:05 +0000Matthew Mohan778206 at https://www.fourfourtwo.comThe World’s 10 Most Iconic Football StandsThese 10 stands are very famous and very loud ‒ so loud they can put the opposing team under pressure, force them to play poorly and, more often than not, leave tasting defeat. Here are FourFourTwos 10 most iconic stands in world footballFourFourTwo IDhttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/features/worlds-10-most-iconic-football-stands
Yellow Wall (Signal Iduna Park‒Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund fans are known for being among the most fanatic in all over Europe, with Signal Iduna Park regularly the highest attended stadium in the continent. That is personified by their famous south stand, known as the Yellow Wall.
It is the largest freestanding stand in Europe, with a 25,000-strong capacity.
When it’s packed, rocking and in full voice, it’s truly a sight to behold and must be a nightmare for opposition sides. It helps create comfortably one of the best atmospheres in world football.
Stretford End (Old Trafford - Manchester United)
One of the loudest stands in England is found at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The Theatre of Dream’s west stand, also known as the Stretford End, is intimidating for the Red Devils’ opponents.
It is where you will find the club’s hardcore supporters, singing and chanting from the first kick to the final whistle. It has a capacity of 20,000.
Spion Kop (Anfield - Liverpool)
Along with Old Trafford, Anfield has another of the loudest stands in England. Known as the Kop, it has a capacity of 12,000 and is filled with Liverpool’s fanatics and loyal band of supporters.
You will never hear You’ll Never Walk Alone sung louder than here, while the regular chants during the match are often just as loud. Throw in the sea of waving flags and banners and the Kop comes alive.
All who witness the Kop are impressed by it, including many of the world’s top football managers and players. Arsene Wenger is one who has expressed his admiration and respect for the Liverpool supporters.
Jock Stein Stand (Celtic Park - Celtic)
Celtic have one of the most fanatic supporter groups in Scotland. Among the stands at Celtic Park, Jock Stein Stand is the loudest and is also where the flags and banners are proudly waved.
The Jock Stein Stand is also a place of constant singing and chanting, along with some creative choreography.
It is named after a giant of the sport – Stein was the manager when Celtic became the first British side to win the European Cup in 1967 and led them to nine successive league titles, sadly passing away in 1985.
Lionel Messi ‒ who has played at Celtic Park a number of times with Barcelona – has described it as an unforgettable stadium.
Curva Sud (San Siro - AC Milan)
The south stand of the San Siro is reserved for AC Milan supporters. That is where the Milan ultras and hardcore supporters usually are and they put on an incredible show.
You will commonly see choreography, creative banners, blazing flares and of course constant singing and chanting.
Hence Curva Sud Milano ‒ as it is famously known ‒ puts enormous pressure on the opposition and has become the subject of much admiration and respect in the world game.
The South (Partizan Stadium - Partizan Belgrade)
The south stand of Partizan Stadium is famously known as the place the Grobari, the Partizan ultras, place themselves to support their beloved club.
Grobari, renowned for their black and white colours, are a sea of movement and flares, a terrifying sight for their opponents, but a joy to behold for neutral football fans.
In number Grobari are one of the largest supporter groups in southeast Europe and one of the two biggest in Serbia.
Peluza Catalin Hildan (Dinamo Stadium - Dinamo Bucharest)
One of the largest, most passionate and most enthusiastic group of fans in Romania and indeed eastern Europe are the supporters of Dinamo Bucharest.
In their Dinamo Stadium home, they place themselves in the north stand known as the Peluza Catalin Hildan (PCH) Stand, named after the former Dinamo captain who passed away during a friendly match in 2000 at the age of just 24.
The fans have a song dedicated to him that they sing at every game and the Dinamo supporters are known as being among the most passionate, unique and creative across Europe.
Nedre C (Parken Stadium - FC Copenhagen)
The FC Copenhagen supporters – known as FCK – are the largest in Denmark and across Scandinavia and are well known for their fanaticism.
A stand in Parken Stadium called Nedre C is where they usually gather to sing and chant constantly in support of FC Copenhagen.
They are also always decked out in blue, white and red, the colours of FC Copenhagen.
Gate 13 (Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium - Panathinaikos)
The supporters of Panathinaikos are renowned for being the loudest in Greece. They usually enter the stadium from Gate 13 of the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium.
The club’s ultras show support through chants and creative green-and-white choreography, along with regular flares too.
Brigata Curva Sud (Stadion Maguwoharjo - PSS Sleman)
The south stand of the Stadion Maguwoharjo, Sleman, Yogyakarta, in Indonesia is filled to over capacity in every single one of PSS’ matches.
Look toward the stand and you’ll see and hear a non-stop wave of singing, dancing and chanting.
It is for their creativity that the Brigata Curva Sud was named as Asia’s best supporters and they are worth the price of admission alone.
It is a subject of pride for Indonesia, a country known more recently for its football problems rather than achievements, including regular disputes among groups of supporters.
featureFri, 10 Mar 2017 03:38:56 +0000James Dampney697071 at https://www.fourfourtwo.comFriendly: PSS Sleman 0 Lions XII 1Lions XII recorded a 1-0 win against PSS Sleman to round off their three-game Indonesian trip on a victorious note.Goal.comhttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/news/friendly-pss-sleman-0-lions-xii-1
The stage is set for the LionsXII to begin the defense of their Malaysia Super League (MSL) title after ending their pre-season tour of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on a winning note on Friday.
Khairul Amri’s goal in the 45th minute was the only difference against PSS Sleman at the Maguwoharjo Stadium as the LionsXII recorded its second win in three games on the tour.
The reigning MSL champions had edged PPSM Magelang 2-1 on Tuesday at the Madya Stadium, having lost 3-0 to Indonesia Premier League (IPL) side Persis Solo last Saturday.
The LionsXII were also beaten 3-1 by the Courts Young Lions in their first pre-season friendly match last Tuesday.
Head coach Fandi Ahmad was pleased with the efforts of his players throughout the tour and stressed the importance the trip had on his team.
“It has been a good tour – with three good matches that provided our players, especially the young ones such as Emmeric Ong, Ignatius Ang and Syafiq Zainal, a feel of the intensity of matches in front of big and vocal crowds,” Fandi said.
“The nine-day trip also strengthened the bonding among the players and officials and we are looking forward to our first match in the MSL next Friday. It will not be an easy season but I believe the team’s perseverance and fighting spirit will play a key role in the next 10 months.”
Vice-captain Safuwan Baharudin echoed his coach’s statements and was pleased with the bonding of the team as a unit.
“We have several new players this season, and the training tour has helped them settle in well,” the Goal Singapore Player of the Year said.
“While a few players were not able to play in the matches, it is good that they are here with the team not only to work on their fitness but also to gel and bond as a cohesive unit.
“Many players in the squad have gained experience through the years of playing together and they will play an important role in guiding and mentoring the younger players. We will put up our best performance and we look forward to our fans’ support which will be vital in our quest for success this season.”
The LionsXII will kick off their 2014 season against Pahang FA on January 17 in Kuantan.
news_articleSat, 11 Jan 2014 06:00:00 +0000Zee Ko111108 at https://www.fourfourtwo.com